


A Swap of Role and Status

by LyingAround



Category: Splatoon, Splatoon Manga - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Brainwash, Fighting, Good End, Kinda?, M/M, Roleswap, This is Bad, but not without extra damage, enjoy kids, goin into detail about sanitization yeehaw, hooboy, no spellcheck we die like men, sanitized, sanitized!goggles, save the boi, tags are everywhere, they beat up the phone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2020-02-26 23:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18726844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyingAround/pseuds/LyingAround
Summary: After saving Agent 3.5, otherwise known as Rider, and Hachi from a grisly end, a dazed Goggles is put on the task of supervising the phone. But a stray bit of teal ink leads to chaos. And not the kind Goggles is known for.This is so much worse.(Aka I’m alive boys and I like splatoon)





	1. Mix Up

Ow.

Goggles groaned a bit, rubbing his slightly cut head in mild pain. “Plums save the day, as always!” He smiled, the corners of his mouth lopsided and natural. Hachi nodded in gratitude, Team Blue spoke among themselves with widened eyes, while Rider simply huffed and turned away. “I was gonna get us out of there. But thanks, I suppose.” The tone of Rider’s voice was harsh, but his eyes glinted with thanks. “Now then. Goggles, the hole you busted in the roof with that jar might just be our ticket to freedom.” He turned to Captain Cuttlefish and the members of Team Blue with a sharp nod. “Superjump to us when we send the signal, Goggles. And don’t do anythin’ stupid.” Goggles nodded in affirmation, “No problem! See you guys soon! Captain, stay here with me! Hype man gonna set us free!” 

Goggles waved as they exited before flopping down to rest in a quick motion. “Tired after that crash, I see?” Captain Cuttlefish shrugged as Goggles went to confirm his suspicions. “Ahh well! We’ll be free soon! An’ you can get as many of those snacks of yours as you want!” The elder danced in place a bit, and Goggles snickered as he leaned back. After a moment, he felt his hand grow... cold? He glanced over, hearing gurgles and sparked behind him, only to see the crazy phone raising itself up! He stood to back away, but slipped, looking back in shock. “S-se—seafood-wiilll-gge-tt-wh—what—-tthhhe—-yyyyy—-dese—rve—“

—————————

Rider crossed his arms, holding his roller in the crook of his elbow. The group had managed to escape the weird sections of the facility, and were now taking a smooth ride on an elevator. Team Blue chatted with Hachi absentmindedly, asking numerous questions about how he thought surface life would be. Rider looked at his feet, an odd feeling rising in his gut. Bobble looked over, beaming. “Grumpy pants! Hey! What’s wroong??” Rider scowled. “Nothing! Just... worried, I guess. I know I’m the one who left him on his own, but... something just feels wrong.” Headphones looked over, smiling lightly. “Don’t be afraid. Knowing Goggles, he’s managed to pants the phone, and it doesn’t even have any!” Rider chuckled a bit, but still kept his eyes on his feet, the feeling refusing to go away.

—————————

Obey orders. Cleanse surface. Obey orders. Cleanse surface. Agent 3S hummed a bit, feeling the comforting mantra of his purpose ringing in his head as always. How easy it was to simply give in and fulfill his role. Obey orders. 

Goggles felt his eyes shoot open. Those were not his thoughts. He attempted to stand, only to realize that his feet were clamped to a sort of chair, as were his hands. He let out a sharp cry as pain coursed through his arm, and he turned to see it connected to a small glowing tube. “What... what’s going..?” A shuddering sound that mocked laughter echoed through the area he was in. “Ahahahaha... idiotic seafood... finally awake... and soon to again sleep...” The telephone glitched and jolted, small cracks in its’ metallic frame oozing with the teal slime, the fake ink. Goggles tried to move away, but again couldn’t. “Dumb... that’s what this species is, dumb...” The phone seemed to sigh. “How—easy it would be—e to simply e—rase your mind. But I have n—o—t worked with I—ii—nkl—ings. You ma-y be just as sst—upid as your counterpart, but the subtle differe—nces... make all the shift in success.” Goggles shook his head. “What are you talking about! Let me go already!” He heard a soft whir, and looked up to see a large device activating above him.

“You should feel ho-nored. You get to be the first subject of t-this sort of device. You get to kill those ingredients... and love every minute of doing so.” Goggles froze. Hurting his friends? No, no, he wouldn’t, he would never! R-right? He felt the arm hooked up to the tube grow dull and numb, and he twitched. “N-not them, not Blue, not Hachi, not Rider!” His eyes grew determined, but the corner of his sight saw the horrific machine growing closer. 

“You will. You can’t fight this. No one else did, and you are not the exception.” The phone grew more stable as its appearance seemed to do the opposite, the goo rushing out with sickening noises. “When I’m done with you, you’ll join the mix like all the others. Fill your purpose.”

Before Goggles could again protest, the machine above his head fired out a gel that resembled the ink of Sanitized Octolings. It molded to his head, warping the color of his trademark headgear. Goggles screamed; this was like getting splatted in battle, but so, so much worse. Every ounce of his will fought against the invasion, and every scrap of gel that contacted his head seemed to kill it more. “I see that this is working well. I’ll go fetch the other hideous ingredient. By the time I return, you’ll be ready. Goggles slammed his eyes shut as the phone clanked away, unsure of how it moved. He looked down to see his face reflected in the floor: eyes glowing as the goo overtook them. Obey. No. Submit. No. Execute. No. Kill. No. Sanitize. NO. Convert. NO. Cleanse. NO.

You are nothing but Agent 3S. 

Your purpose is to remove all impurities.

Remove your impurity.

The usually cheerful inkling screamed loud enough and in such agony as to terrify pain itself. He panted, head falling as he could only think of what the goo decided he was meant to think of. “I-I’m sorry... R-Rider...” His eyes closed, skin tinted with an ever so slight green, mind fading to the mantra he first awoke with.

—————————

“aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“

Everyone on the elevator froze as a horrific sound cut through the calm air. The machine seemed to respond as well, slowing to a stop.

“W-what gives?” Headphone trembled a bit, looking at the rest. “I don’t...”

“DUCK!”

Rider flinched, grabbing onto Hachi and bringing him down as a surplus of ropes filled the area. The rest of Team Blue was not so lucky, and found themselves tied up to a ufo next to Captain Cuttlefish. “Agent 3.5! That crazy phone hijacked Agent 3’s mind!”

Rider looked up to the top of the ufo, seeing a small figure standing there. Their blue tentacles were laced with a lighter teal, skin darker than it should be, eyes filled with malice. They wore a smile, a perfect smile, the wrong kind of smile. “Hehe! Hi Rider!”

This wasn’t happening.

“GOGGLES!” The inkling in question laughed again, a robotic sound that stirred no emotions. “Silly Rider! What are you doing alive?” The boy twirled an octoshot in his hands in a playful manner. “Let’s get you ready for conversion!” Goggles leapt down, an a splashdown mark appeared on the floor. “RUN!” The duo left standing on the platform dodged, and Goggles frowned. “Man. You two should totally be splatted.” The playful remarks were spoken in such an emotionless manner that Rider felt himself shudder. Hachi stood, trembling. “What... what happened?” 

As if it were the one being asked, the telephone rose up from seemingly nowhere. “I have taken this Inkling’s pathetic behavior and put it to my own use. You ingredients will be where you need to be soon enough. DESTROY THEM!” 

Goggles nodded, preparing another splashdown. Rider swung his roller, hitting point blank. But Goggles was fine. “Ink shield while in the air! Benefits!” He lunged forward, firing off his octoshot. He switched into the Inkjet, firing at Hachi and knocking him down. Team Blue felt their eyes widen, shouting in unison. “GOGGLES HAS UNLIMITED SPECIALS! RUN!” Rider did so, luring the crazed inkling away from Hachi. 

“Goggles! Snap out of it!” Rider’s voice held desperation. “No!” Goggles fired again, switching out of the inkjet and landing with another splashdown. He threw a bomb as he did so, nearly hitting Rider. “This feels great...” Emotion creeped into Goggle’s voice. “I love this... hehe... I’ll kill you... execute... obey... execute...” Goggles mumbled, personality fading. “I do suppose working off his traits won’t last forever. Impurities will always be removed” The telephone watched coldly as Rider clenched his fists. “This isn’t you, Goggles...” He raised his roller, about to crash it down, when Goggles dashed out of the way. He held out his Inkzooka, a mad desire to kill in his eyes.

“Surprise!”

Goggles knocked Rider’s roller away, sitting atop him with the perfect grin. The special had ended, but he now held his gun to Rider’s face, knowing well that Hachi was still downed. “What a shame I couldn’t use that to end you. But we need your ink intact. Now, you can serve your purpose.” Rider growled, “Fool! Get off! Please! Stop already! I know you’re still in there!” Goggles chuckled. “You’re right. I am still here. I just know my purpose now.” Rider lunged forward, and...

BANG!

A patch of ink flew onto the floor behind the two squids. Team Blue and Captain Cuttlefish felt their eyes widen, and the phone let out a screech of confusion. Rider had moved up to Goggles in a hug, knocking his gun away in the progress. “Stupid fool... your purpose isn’t to kill us. You know that, idiot.” Rider spoke with the same words as the phone, but with a new tone. Goggle’s tried to get away for a moment, but found himself leaning into the other, sighing gently Rider looked at the patch of DNA on Goggle’s head, grabbing the gun. He fired at the spot, knocking it away without harming the squid in his arms.

Goggles blinked a few times, looking around. He saw Hachi covered in the tainted ink, Team Blue tied up, and Rider looking at him. He sniffled, then began to bawl in both pain and sorrow. “I-I-I’m sorry! I tried to kill you guys! I’m a terrible inkling!” Rider went to brush the ink out of Goggle’s face, but hesitated when he saw a scar left behind. That would leave a mark. Instead, he simply brushed the tentacles of the other, undoing the ponytail they were held in and gently calming him down. The others used the diversion to slip free and knock the telephone away, while Hachi slowly rose in recovery.

“Guys!” “Hey!” “Oh Cod! Are you alright?!” The group flung questions at them like a bomb rush, and Rider glared. They got the hint and quieted down, the only noise remaining being the hum of the now moving elevator and Goggle’s light sniffling. “I... I wanted to kill you guys... I wanted that... I...” He broke down again, the others seeing that this would leave more than a physical mark. “Shh... it’s ok. That wasn’t you. It wasn’t you.” As light filtered into the elevator, the duo stood, and while they didn’t know the challenge that waited ahead of them, they knew damn well that they were going to destroy that phone.


	2. Not yet gone.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NILS and TarTar are gone. But the sanitization isn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s me, the angst.

“BOOOOYAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!”

The sound of hope was deafening. Pearl screamed into the Killer Wail, everyone else cheering along with her. Pink clashed with blue, and in the end, the beam crashed through the NILS statue with a solid crunch. The two octolings yelled in joy, hugging each other and the rest of the group. They were free. The sun, too, seemed to welcome them, a lovely glow cascading around the team as Inkopolis grew closer. Rider smiled from the back, not much of one for group hugs. This vantage point, however, allowed him to notice something that was very wrong.

Goggles was sitting away from the group, staring at the sinking statue with an odd expression. The sun made it clear than a discoloration still hung on his skin, eyes lighter than they should be. Rider walked over cautiously, reaching out. “Goggles? You ok?” The inkling flinched, whipping his head around. “Oh! Y-yea, Rider, feelin’ great! We beat up that stupid phone, and the octolings are free!” Goggles smiled, but Rider caught the stutters and fearful glances at his hands that the blue inkling made.

“Worried about the sanitization, aren’t you?” Goggles nodded slowly, sighing. “Yes. I just... I don’t look sanitized, but I don’t look normal, either. It injected that awful stuff into my a-arm...” Goggles displayed the point, a small bandage still on the wound. “There’s no time to be worried, Goggles.” Rider attempted to maintain his confident tone. “There’s battles to be won; you want to show the octolings what it’s like to turf war, right? We’ll get your Splattershot, and everything will be alright.” Goggles blinked. “Splattershot...? What’s a...” He winced, placing his head into his hands with a small cry. “I know what a Splattershot is! Dang it!” Rider’s eyes widened. Did he really forget? He didn’t dare to ask further, only moving his arms around the other, waiting for landing.

—————————

“Cmonnn Goggles! We’re gonna be late! Get your weapon and let’s go!” Team Blue rushed to the lobby, donning their classic attire. A pink team was waiting within, beaming. A quick spar was always an excitement, but this was a special group: the team was comprised entirely of octolings. Goggles finally approached, holding his Splattershot in his hands. He fumbled with it, seeming to be unable to get a proper grip. They rushed into spawn, the countdown starting.

“Ready... Set... Go!!!”

Both teams rushed forward, inking away. Glasses went left as Bobble took the right, with Headphones charging straight forward. Goggles, however, lagged behind. Everything about his weapon felt wrong. The weight, the look; familiar, but wrong. It wasn’t his Octoshot. What? He didn’t notice an octoling approaching him with a Blaster, too confused with his conflicting thoughts. The direct-hit chime echoed through the shots as Goggles was splatted in a single blow. He respawned, growling. Headphones came in soon after, sighing playfully. “Man! These octolings know what they’re doing, ey Gog...gles..?” Headphones quieted as she saw Goggles standing still, eyes hidden by his lowered head. He continued to almost snarl under his breath, and Glasses spawned in. “Hey! You two! Let’s...” He saw what was going on and silenced. The pink team charged forward, cheering, but slowed to a stop when they saw the group trying to snap Goggles out of his daze. “Is he ok?” “Team Blue?” “Did we win?”

Goggles whipped his head up, laughing slightly. He spun his Splattershot around, and before anyone could react, created a seamless bomb-shot combo, splatting all four members of the pink team in a matter of seconds with a single bomb and six blots of ink. After doing so, he flinched and collapsed, his teammates rushing over in a panic. He blacked out, hearing the emergency battle cancel whistle ring in the background.

—————————

“...gles! Hey! He’s wakin’ up!” Goggles groaned, grabbing his head, wincing as he slammed right onto his scar. Why did it hurt so much? He yelped, noticing Team Blue, Rider, and the Octolings giving him concerned looks. A few other people were there, as well as the S4. They didn’t seem to know where to put their eyes, looking at him, then each other, then the floor. It was annoying. No it wasn’t. Goggles grabbed his head again, whimpering. Rider moved forward, snapping his fingers in front of him. “Don’t do that! Look at me.” Goggles listened, looking at Rider. He heard the other mutter a small “Damn it...” under his breath, pacing around the room. The rest gasped as well, backing away slightly. 

His eyes were glowing again. Rider grabbed his hand, shaking his head. “Mask, you were right.” He sighed. “It didn’t go away. I...” He snapped another quick swear. “We can’t leave him alone. I’m sure you all guessed that already.” The octolings looked at each other, not sure what was going on, while the others agreed. Goggles frowned. They were talking about him? Was he being a burden? No, no, he- “Goggles, you’re gonna need to come with me.” Rider grabbed his hand, leading him off the small chair they had set him on. Goggles flinches and complied, head racing. The sun was setting, sky turning black and calm. “I need you to stay with me this evening, alright?” Goggles felt his face grow a bit warm, but the blush was masked by the discoloration of his skin. Rider nodded. “We’ll rotate having you be watched. I’m sorry, but we can’t have you alone with sanitized ink flowing through you. That’s what Mask predicted.” Goggles began to tremble. “Does that mean... I’ll never...” He started to cry a bit, putting two and two together. Rider gasped and shook his head. “No! Y-you’ll eventually filter it out of your system, fool.” He spoke sharply, the only way to hide his worry. “We’re almost to my house now. You’re tired, right?” Goggles nodded, with Rider returning the gesture. “Hm. I have some spare clothes you can borrow for now; they might be a bit big, but they’ll do.”

Rider unlocked the door, setting it back as Goggles entered. The area was a bit messy, but he could walk through without issue. He changed into the clothes he was provided, then flopped onto the couch. He gave Rider a grateful nod, and Rider shook his head. “Don’t thank me. This is temporary. See ya in the mornin’, idiot.” They both snickered, and Goggles found himself dozing off at the same time Rider shut off the lights.

—————————

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

Goggles grabbed his head, whimpering and coughing. One of his hands moved to his mouth against his will, covering it to keep himself quiet. He shook his head, face burning, but he couldn’t get up, nor cry for help. A dull ring filled his head, as if acting to overwrite any semblance of thought he had. This wasn’t possible. They destroyed the phone. He hadn’t gotten any new- Goggles froze.

He hadn’t gotten any new orders.

But he hadn’t completed the old one. 

Goggles tried to scream, do anything to alert Rider, but his voice caught in his throat. He didn’t have orders to alert that idiot. NO! The ringing grew louder, and he felt the scar on his face grow slick as the sanitization ink seeped out of it, trying to reform itself. His hand slowly moved back to his side as he lost control to the protocol, and he saw the same ink coated on from the coughing. “Don’t...” He whimpered softly, slowly standing. Don’t obey. Don’t obey. Don’t hurt him. Don’t be disloyal. Don’t have impurities. 

Goggles stumbled and fell, shaking. The cry of his own head was silenced by the protocol, but not in the same way. TarTar is not here. But orders had to be followed. Right? Goggles started crying, realizing how quickly he had lost the battle. Of course. He was meant to fill his job. Why had he stopped? Because he didn’t want to hurt anyone. But that’s the opposite of what he needed to do. He stood once more, giggling softly to himself, conflicting sides battling all the while.

—————————

Rider jolted upward at the sound of terrified whimpering, then a thud. He slowly got out of his bed, moving to open the door, when he was slammed to the ground with an alarming force. It was still the middle of the night, and the lights were off, but that only made the next sight more dreadful.

Glowing eyes and a perfect smile.

“Hello again, Rider!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, eh, don’t know how to format very well so sorry for end note duplication, heh. Anyways, I got 10 kudos and caved, I’m very weak. Thank you for the nice comments!


	3. Temporary Solutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be careful.

Goggles laughed in what seemed like delight as Rider struggled beneath him. He had pinned the boy down by his arms, leaning on him with a smirk. His eyes glowed in a near hypnotic manner, and he continued to giggle as Rider tried to push him off. “You look perfect down there! Below me, just as you should be.” He cackled, watching the other squid tremble and whine, trying to avoid any bit of sanitization ink he could. It was cute, watching him think he could win this. But Goggles knew how alluring perfection was. He would fix this world, whether his maker was here or not.

“Goggles! Wake up!” Rider cried beneath him, terrified by the glint in the other’s eyes. This wasn’t like any look he had seen before, even on the most vile of inklings he had met in the past. This wasn’t even Goggles anymore, was it? Goggles moved Rider’s arms to his sides with astonishing power; he knew the squid was strong, but he had never done anything like this. Perhaps, in another situation, he may have blushed and thrown a small compliment his way. But this was an act of true malice. The scar on Goggle’s head had reformed to its normal state, the glowing blob of ink dripping onto Rider like poison.

“Your face is amazing right now.” Goggles used his now free hands to tap Rider’s nose playfully, as if they were sparring. Rider felt the other lean back a bit, right onto his... oh sh-

Rider yelped in shock, a blush creeping onto his face against his will. Goggles glanced down at him, drilling through Rider with those glowing eyes. “Oh. I see.” Goggles tilted his head like a confused puppy. “You think you still have a chance, don’t you? A chance of changing my mind. But you lied to me the other day. You said this wasn’t me. But it is.” His voice remained playful and cruel. “I want to kill you. I want to remove your impurities, just like how mine were. I want this.”

“Then why are you crying?”

Rider found the strength to grin as Goggles sputtered. “What did you just say?!” Rider used this advantage to continued his verbal retaliation. “If you want this so much... then why are you crying, Goggles?”

Goggles growled, eyes glowing harsher than they ever had. “Do not refer to me by that pathetic name. I am Agent 3S. AGENT. 3. S. That’s all I am.” Rider narrowed his eyes, noticing what Goggles was trying to do. “You have to try to convince yourself to believe that, don’t you?” 

“SHUT UP!” Goggles covered Rider’s mouth with a growl, scanning the room. He saw a loose bandana, smirking. He grabbed it, before stuffing it into the green squid’s mouth despite protest. “There. Now you can’t feed me lies.” Goggles resumed giggling, tears starting to slow as his glowing eyes grew brighter, yet less vacant. “By this night’s end, I’ll find a weapon, fill your skull with sanitization ink, and have you join me. We’ll convert or kill everyone else from there.” Goggles hummed, satisfied with his plan. Rider shook his head, attempting to push out the bandana with no success. 

Goggles stood and turned away, searching the room. “Your Dynamo is in here somewhere, isn’t it?” Rider felt his ink run cold. “Nn! Nn! Gfggl! Whmph!!” Goggles laughed. “Your noises make it clear that is it.” He searched through drawers, tossing out anything he saw unfit for use as an attack, until finally his hands contacted metal. He went to grab it, but felt Rider crash into him. “Oh. I almost forgot you weren’t tied down.” Rider’s eyes glinted, and he yanked out the bandana. Goggles grabbed the roller, quickly producing a Splat Bomb. “Come closer. I dare ya.” Rider backed away. “Good boy!” Rider both blushed and growled at the compliment; that sounded too much like Goggles, a mockery of Goggles. The boy moved closer with the bomb, eventually pressing Rider up against a wall. Rider gulped, but noticed how Goggles leaned into him rather than away. The malice filled eyes bore into him, but Rider saw something else: the tiniest flicker of a plead. “Help me.”

Rider flinched, knowing how dangerous this next move was due to the surplus of sanitized ink Goggles had coughed up, but he had to try. He grabbed onto the male’s coat, and before he could throw the bomb, pulled him into another hug. His ears fell a bit, as did Goggles’, the bomb slowly being canceled while Goggles grabbed onto him with a small chirp. As they pulled away, Goggles blinked with dim eyes. He jolted, slowly tipping backwards, and Rider barely managed to push Goggles far enough as to avoid him slamming his head onto the bed frame. Instead, he fell onto the upturned covers, spasming. “N... Rider... ghk...” Rider panicked with a yell. “Goggles? Goggles! Say something!” 

“S-s-starting full del-deletion. T-ta-task cann-nnot be inter-rup-rupted again.” “What?! Goggles! Answer me!!” Goggles only continued to mutter to himself, the incoherent ramblings growing into the same scream he had made when first sanitized. The sound was enough to make Rider sick, but he ran over, shaking him. “20 percent.” Goggles whimpered, hands trying to grab his head, but he had lost control. “Y-your attempts at af-af-affection will not save hi-hi-im-m-me now.” Rider shook him harder in response. “No! Goggles! Y... you aren’t this! Don’t give up! Please!” “35.” Was Goggles’ only response. Rider hugged Goggles tightly, ignoring the drips of teal goo that dripped onto his shoulder. He would not let this happen.

Goggles felt as if every ounce of his own brain was trying to close in on him. He screamed internally, no longer containing verbal control. The protocol laughed at him from within, taking over effortlessly. “The mental erasure system is a beta, but it seems to be working very well.” Goggles tried to create a mental comeback or resistance, but could only manage a small “Please...” “Oh? What’s this? 60 percent, and you’re being reduced down to purely primal and meaningless thoughts? Adorable.” The protocol’s voice became overwhelming. “JUST GIVE IN ALREADY. MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR US. MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR ME. THIS FORM NO LONGER BELONGS TO YOU, NOR MAY YOU EVEN BELIEVE TO INHABIT IT. GIVE IN. SUMBIT. BE ERASED.” The last three phrases seems to repeat without end, more commands of obedience and erasure attacking every second. Goggles couldn’t even think, not that he was meant to. Orders became truths in his head, the internal monitor reaching 90. Just a few more seconds, and he could fulfill his one role as Agent 3S. Goggles did not exist. Goggles does not exist. Goggles-

“... I am not going to lose you.” Goggles felt his body be pulled foreward, eyes widening as he started to be able to process what was happening.

Rider was kissing him.

Goggles squeaked, instantly reciprocating. Rider gasped as he did so, both parties continuing. “WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS?! AGENT 3S, OBEY YOUR OR-“

“No.” Goggles focused, and in a few moments, the extra voice in his head had vanished. Blue and green pulled away from each other, laughing softly. As the DNA fell away and eyes ceased to glow, Rider laughed harder and pulled him into yet another hug. “C-Cod... Goggles, I thought I had...” Goggles saw Rider without his shield of confidence, and smiled brighter than he had in a decent while.

—————————

“Well. Someones were busy.”

Rider and Goggles entered the plaza, holding hands and beaming. The scar was still present, but the discoloration had visibly decreased; Goggles was recovering. Bobble cheered, while Headphones shook her head after making the small comment. A few others recognized them, and the octoling from before were relieved to see them better, even feeling up for a rematch. “Of course!” Goggles walked away from Rider, nodding in pure gratitude, and the green squid gave a small wave before heading off to a Ranked match. Blue Team charged into the fray, Goggles holding his Splattershot as accurately as ever, countdown acting as his wings to the center. At the end, the Blue team had won by a hair, both sides congratulating each other on putting up a good fight.

A silent voice growled from an unknown region.

“M-m-my f-fi-fight i-i-is n-not o-over e-ei-ith-er, 3S.”


	4. How to continue this? [Suggestions!]

Hi everyone! This is just a quick update; no problems or anything, I’m just wondering how you all would like the story to go! I’m at a bit of a standstill of what to do next: I know my intro for the next chapter, but not how to truly carry the story along. So... if anyone has any suggestions, toss ‘em in the comments of this chapter! I’m workin’ on it right now, but inspiration can go a long way! Have a wonderful day everyone, and hopefully the next part will be out very soon, especially with your help!


	5. A Normal, Pre-Tournament Dinner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tournament’s coming up! Team Blue is on a winning streak thanks to the experience they’ve gained through their many battles. To celebrate, Rider and Goggles have decided to have a nice dinner together at a restaurant not far from the plaza. New challengers will be coming, excitement will be had, and there’s been no major incidents since the octolings arrived to the surface! Everyone’s ready for the tournament to arrive!
> 
> Right?

“Alright! That’s a 4 streak baby!” Goggles hopped and spun in place a bit, dancing as the rest of Team Blue sighed. “Goggles, calm down. You’re actin’ like a Zapfish on a pile of Crusty Sean’s shwaffles!” Glasses crossed his arms and tapped his foot, but Goggles was as excitable as ever. “Heh, sorry guys! It’s just amazing to know we’re doing so well before the next tournament! We even got some salmonids taken care of last spawn cycle; we’re just on a roll!” He continued to dance about in place as a chime resounded in the plaza. “And that ends battles for today! All progress will be saved, so don’t worry ‘bout your freshness meter!” The daily message finished, and groups of Inklings and Octolings began to pack up for the evening, or to the many surrounding restaurants in the area. “Whelp, that ends my day. Need to get home, maybe practice a little. Cya later guys!” Headphones waved and took off towards her home. “Same here~! I bet Glasses needs to study all night or something~!” Bobble’s grin widened as she started to walk off. “I DO NOT! I PLAN TO HAVE A PERFECTLY CALM AND CONTENTED EVENING, MAYBE WATCHING SOME TV!” Glasses yelped back loudly, but Bobble only laughed and ran off faster. “That squid... plan on anything else today, Goggles?”

“Yeah, he is.” Another voice cut through the cool air, and Glasses jumped back. “Hey Rider!” Goggles ran forward and jumped on the green inkling, hugging him tightly. “Fool, calm yourself!” He snapped, but there was no insult in the comment; Rider simply wasn’t one for many mushy names or total displays affection. At least, in public he wasn’t. Glasses took a deep breath. “Well thanks for the heart attack. I’m going home now, you two lovebirds do whatever it is you’re doing. Rider, stop being so ominous for once, please, I want to keep my tentacle color BLUE instead of some ghost white from shock.” Rider nodded. “You’d think with glasses you’d be able to see me better, but you do you I guess.” There was some more bickering between the two before Goggles tugged Rider on the arm. “Cmon, we gotta get to the place before there’s a huge line already!” Rider sighed in agreement, and the group parted for the night.

“I cannot believe we’re going to the Swordfish’s Blade tonight!” Goggles hopped and skipped in delight, beaming. “It’s got a fancy name, but it isn’t too crazy, Goggles.” This was the truth; the Blade was certainly a popular place to eat, but it was generally family friendly and full of meals for all ages, and no where near as pristine as some of the big-city places to eat. Nonetheless, it was a delightful place, and overall considered somewhere for special occasions: perfect for celebrating an upcoming tournament. As a result, Rider knew that Goggles was excitable, and always had been, but ever since the... incident, he had been acting absolutely overjoyed at every moment. Perhaps he was simply happy to be together? Rider felt himself blush slightly at the idea, something which Goggles took note of instantly. “Haha! Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Rider turned to his partner with a sly grin. “Just how absolutely precious you are is all.” Goggles faltered for a second, but continued. “Oh, I thought you only showed any affection in private? Are you truly breaking that shell of yours?” Rider rolled his eyes. “Please. There’s no one around, and the second we get to the Blade, it’s ice cold Rider for you.” Goggles seemed to pout upon hearing this, and Rider noticed something... weird. The smaller inkling mouthed something, then instantly perked back up. “Well, that’s alright! I won’t pressure ya!” The light of the Blade cut through the now darkened sky, and Goggles rushed forward. “Cmon! We gotta get in line!”

A while later, the pair was settled at their table, a simple two person area with casual chairs. They were around the middle of the room, and the Blade was packed. The normally quiet makeshift bar had a cephalopod at every stool, and every booth was filled with a cheerful family or group of friends. The yellow lighting above shone like a warm fire, and the sound of conversation was quite loud. “Quite a popular night, eh Goggles?” No response. “Hey! Ya home?” Goggles flinched, then smiled. “Sorry! Yeah, it really is! That’s why I was all spaced out; it normally isn’t as noisy in here. Plus I’m excited.” Rider picked up the soda he had ordered, took a quick drink, then nodded. “Yeah. Hah, hope the waitress doesn’t mess up our order with all the shouting. Not that I don’t trust ‘em, but I can’t even think too straight with all this yelping.” Goggles nodded, picking up his own drink. Unlike Rider, who was using a straw, Goggles had chosen to simply drink from the glass as per usual. He tilted the drink up, and in the time it took Rider to look away to see their waitress approaching, there was a loud yelp and the sound of broken glass. Rider whipped back around to see Goggles covered in soda, his cup clean in two on the floor. The commotion had paused, and while some parties continued speaking, a good total were faced directly at the pair. “Ahaha..! I’m pretty clumsy, aren’t I?” Goggles giggled nervously, giving an apologetic look to Rider. He went down to clean the glass, when the waitress passed by. “Oh no sweetheart! We’ll take care of it, please get yourself washed up if you need to, happens all the time.” Goggles nodded shakily, heading to the bathroom. 

“Sorry about that, miss...” Rider dipped his head a bit, and the waitress set down their food on the table. “Don’t worry, this sorta thing happens a lot when there’s so much commotion. Though... did you notice something back there?” Rider got a puzzled look. “N... no? Why?” The waitress looked towards the door she came from. “See, as I got closer, I saw ya lookin’ at me, turnin’ towards the same wall your pal was facing. All of a sudden he got a freaked out look, like real fear in his eyes. He practically threw his drink. Hope there wasn’t a bug in there... if there was, I promise you we’ll give a small discount.” Before Rider could respond, Goggles returned. “I’m so sorry! I got my drink down the wrong pipe there! Soda in the lungs is... less than pleasant. But... woah, that food looks amazing!” Goggles wiped his seat off, then sat down. “Thank goodness for psuedo-water; would have never gotten the stuff off without it, and I’d prefer not to dissolve! Should I pay extra for the slip up..?” The waitress practically gasped. “No, sweetie, no! You and your partner there have nothing to worry about. I’ll go check on the others, and then have your check ready whenever you’re done.” She smiled and went on her way, and the two began to eat. “Aaahh... this is soooo good!” Goggles bounced in his seat, smiling in delight. Rider began to ask something, but decided against it. “I’m glad you like it.” He had to admit, the food was spectacular, and everything about his order was correct despite the chaos. The pair finished after some more conversation, Goggles not losing a scrap of energy the whole time. He also paid in full despite Rider’s protest to split the bill. “C’mon, I had extra ink on my hands today. If I can lose a drink, I can lose a couple extra dollars.” After the meal they returned to their homes, sharing a quick kiss on the street they had to take their separate paths before saying their goodnights and waving.

Goggles watched Rider go, then practically sprinted the distance to his house. He rushed inside, nearly slamming the door, sliding down against it. That couldn’t have been real. It couldn’t have. His mind flashed back to the diner. He picked up his drink, enjoying every second he had with Rider. He looked down at his drink, seeing his reflection in the liquid. His eyes, his eyes, the eyes, those weren’t his eyes, they couldn’t be his eyes, he didn’t see a teal glow he DID NOT see a teal glow reflecting with the warmth of that room, he wasn’t the chill in the light but he WAS, he was he had seen that glow and he panicked and he dropped the glass and he-

“Calm down!” Goggles spoke aloud, breathing heavily. The panic was enough to make him cough, a sickly bout of goop coming out from his mouth. Blue and teal mixed. He needed to stay happy. If he stayed happy, he didn’t cough, and if he didn’t cough, he didn’t see teal. Why had he seen teal in the glass? His eyes couldn’t have been that way, shouldn’t have. But he was still coughing up that sickly stuff, it was still in him. It had been weeks. Why hadn’t it gone away? He walked to his bathroom, legs weak and shaky. He needed to calm down. “Don’t let them notice, if they notice they’ll get worried again...” Goggles hissed to himself under his breath, looking in the mirror. He couldn’t let there be another grand adventure. Everything needed to go back to normal; he didn’t need the others all worked up before a tournament. He didn’t want to be a burden, he just needed to calm down. He was the one who helped the team stay happy! He just needed to focus. The phone was...

Ring... Ring... Ring...

Goggled froze, looking around the bathroom. The ringing got louder. “Where are you?! I’ll destroy you again! I am Goggles, you can’t change that! Come out!” The ring only grew constant, louder and louder. Why had he been so quick to turn to destruction just then? He was meant to be the happy go lucky one! He had to focus. Focus, focus, a repeating voice in his head grew loud with the ringing. The white of his bathroom seemed to shift to the blue-grey of the facility. A pain scorched on the side of his face, yet he seemed to feel nothing. Except he felt something in his hands, an octoshot. His octoshot. It felt so right in his grasp, unlimited specials at his disposal. His mind started blanking out, Rider was there, hugging him. “This isn’t you, Goggles.” It wasn’t Goggles. It was 3S.

BANG!

Goggles woke up with a scream, head nearly slamming against the bathroom counter as he shot upwards. His breath caught in his throat, tears falling down his cheeks. “Just... just a dream...” More like just a nightmare, but he had to ignore that. His phone, the ringing had stopped, no, his own personal phone buzzed slightly in his pocket; he realized he had somehow passed out, still in his clothes from yesterday. He felt his scar; it still hadn’t faded. He wondered how many people stared at it. He couldn’t worry about that, he needed to stay calm. He opened his phone to see a text from Heaphones: “Hey! Ready to train? Tournament’s tomorrow!” Goggles got up, walking to the door, not bothering to change. He sighed, a bright grin spreading on his face as he mouthed “Keep it together” as a reminder. He looked down at the screen, replying.

“Yep! Nothing’s going to change our plans!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Gets More Splatoon Mangas For Christmas
> 
> My brain: Are you forgetting something?
> 
> Me: Huh? What do y- OH N O
> 
> Sooo, sorry for updating far, far too late! My apologies if this isn’t the best, I’m not the best at writing haha! Goggles should be renamed to Bottles at this point; clearly holding everything in will lead to brilliant results later! Especially in tournaments where a certain color of ink can be present naturally! Totally won’t end up bad at all.
> 
> The voice of the phone at the end of the other chapter is a big ol’ illusion; our lil’ boye is going crazy, unfortunately. Rider, go help him! Oh... it’s my job to write Rider helping him? Mm... maybe just a little more angst... hehe...

**Author's Note:**

> Tysm for reading! I’ll be more active from now on, I promise! I plan to possibly add on to this, hopefully it does ok!


End file.
